New show premieres thin plot, low stakes

“The Catch,” a new drama with a tricky premise created by Allan Heinberg, Jennifer Schuur and Helen Gregory and produced by Shonda Rhimes, premiered Thursday, March 24 on ABC network.

The new show is about a high-level private investigator, Alice Vaughan, played by Mireille Enos, caught in a personal scheme when the master thief, Mr. X who’s been working to con her by stealing from clients her clients.

Vaughan is supposed to be protecting these clients, but the show reveals Mr. X to be her rich and charming husband-to-be Benjamin Jones, played Peter Krause.

A struggle without mercy soon takes place halfway through the “Pilot,” when Benjamin suddenly disappears with Vaughan’s firm’s clientele data as well as her life savings of $1.4 million, setting the series up for its cat-and-mouse à la Agatha Christie meets Nancy Drew.

Following weeks of promotion and an almost complete makeover from its original plot, “The Catch,” unfortunately, opened to unequivocally modest ratings March 24, leaving us all to wonder about its longevity.

As it turns out, audiences aren’t duped by Vaughan, a supposed brilliant investigator giving her fiancé access to all her money nor are they buying into the chemistry or lack thereof, between the main characters.

While the show’s new setup is sexier, quicker and arguably more entertaining, the plot is thin and the stakes don’t quite feel there.

As of right now, the few of us who believe in Shonda Rhimes’ magical abilities will be tuning in as Vaughan goes on a private mission for payback chasing after a man who so recklessly played her, all the while hoping that the show soon realizes that its biggest chase will be holding its audience’s attention.

Make no mistake, “The Catch,” with its female lead, dysfunctional underlings and absurd plot twists is a Shonda-land show and so, there are great hopes that the magic will soon take place which will keep us on our toes.

In addition, Enos, well-known for her previous role in “The Killing” is a formidable actress and quite excellently portrays a strong woman with enough vulnerability and romanticism to be so unbelievably duped.

Krause, who replaced Damon Dayoub from the original pilot, actually brings a sense of poise to Jones.

The trick now lies in both actors finding that undeniable chemistry is known to wounded lovers, full of deception and lustful stares which acted upon, will have fans swarming in.